A Fond Farewell

Several weeks ago Lynette McAsh broke the news that Sweet Pea Stamps would be closing, and as any of you who have followed me know that they are my favorite. They will be sorely missed, but I think that the amazing images will live on for a long time on the blogs and in the hearts of many. So the facebook fan group has organized a big "Farewell Blog Hop". If you following along, then you are on your 3rd stop, so I hope I don't disappoint!

I couldn't decide which of the 60 or so Sweet Pea images I own to share with you for this event, but I narrowed it down to a seasonal image and one that I just love to colour... The first is Katerina Koutiotis' "Hope for the Holidays",  I am pretty sure the 2nd one is Rachel Anderson though I don't know the name. Both of my images are coloured with Copics.

This first image utilizes a bunch of the Close to My Heart White Pines scraps that I had out on my workspace (yeah still working on Operation Use Some Scraps)

The 2nd card I have uses some old Prima Firefly paper, some Viva Pearl Pens, a few tulips I  found and a Heartfelt Creations build a flower that I dusted with "Wink of Stella" (which may be the greatest scrapbook creation this year). Obviously I wanted to throw  some glitter ritz on the gorgeous fairy to show things out in style.

I will miss Sweet Pea, and I have been loading up on digis the past few days, so I encourage you to do the same thing! Thanks for stopping by and enjoy your trip around the blog world, you are off to see Suzi next  http://suzannebakermckenzie.blogspot.com!!

Here is the complete Blog list!!

1, http://sweetpearubberstamps.blogspot.com  (You already did this)

2. Holley's Blog http://holleybarnhartsblog.blogspot.com (This too)

3. Colleen Dewis http://stressedisjustdessertsbackwards.blogspot.ca/ (you are here now silly)

4. Suzi Baker McKenzie http://suzannebakermckenzie.blogspot.com

5. Cindy van Oorschot http://cmvanoorschot.blogspot.ca

6. Vannessa Hasty http://www.saffiresstamping.blogspot.co.uk/

7. Barb Poole http://www.abarbcardblog.blogspot.ca/

8. Pat Martin http://patacakespages.blogspot.com

9. Debbie Ebat http://debbiesstampingadventures.blogspot.com

10. Olivia Rivera-Marmara http://www.ormcraftynights.blogspot.com

11. Winnie A Ludvigsen http://norwayscrapper.blogspot.no/

12. Tera Thelma Borer- Fujan http://www.stampqueen.blogspot.com

13. Susan Salyer http://lilyandthelotus.blogspot.com

14. Danni Bindel http://dannisdreamscrafts.blogspot.com/

15. Denise Pustelniak http://thruthelookingglass-glassgraffitix2.blogspot.com/

16. Samantha Aguilera http://designsbysammy.blogspot.com/

17. Angelique Engeldesignsscrap http://engeldesignsscrap.blogspot.nl/

18.  Sharon Rogers Http://sharonshowcase.blogspot.com

19. Ann Cutts http://craftworkblog.blogspot.co.uk/

20. Hilde Larsen http://tindaloo.blogspot.com

21.  Jane Bradshaw http://www.craftyanimal.blogspot.com

22.  Jennifer Scull http://justcoffeepleasestampsribbonspaper.blogspot.com/

23. Margaret Ashby http://www.granmargaret.blogspot.com.au/

24. Michele Storms Http://artfromthewell.blogspot.com

25.   Ria ZonneStraaltje http://dragonmagicscrapkaarten.blogspot.nl/

26. Margo Davis http://cardsbymargo.blogspot.com

26. Kathi Rerek http://kathstales.blogspot.com

28. Aletha Jane http://ajsdesigns.blogspot.com

29. Christina Gudgeon http://craftieangel.blogspot.com.au/

The blahs are receeding

Well gang,

I alluded to my being blah and anxiety issues in my last post, but I am getting back on track. School is fixed-ish, we got through Christmas, there was some online stamp shopping... my copic collection grows. So I need to get back to crafting and sharing it with people. So I was inspired by the Sweet Pea One sweet Challenge (what a shock for you I know).

This image is ©Joanne Schempp's White Christmas and I was thrown for a slight loop in colouring because I really thought she had a belly button. I have since realized that is was just part of the dress and that maybe she should be more covered since it's snowing and all. Oh well, I still like how she is done. She is stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black, heat set then coloured with copics. The papers are Close to My Heart's Pear and Partridge, with the brads from last year's Christmas line. The poinsettias are from Prima. All of my favorite things!

The Good Always Wins

Well today had been a rough day, but I am powering through by focusing on the 2 good things that happened; first my package from Sweet Pea Stamps arrived (SQUEE as you all know), and THEN they announced a call for their design team!!! I know right? So if you are interested in being my competition, the call is on their blog. Just a warning, I spent the night fussy cutting the heck out of one of my new stamps to try to make something worthy of joining such an amazing group. So 2/3 submissions are ready.

Now it was pointed out to me that I promised to show you guys my star card a few weeks back. BAHAHAHA. Well let me tell you a story before I show you the picture. So I have see this card a few times, and I found a template and was all like "I can totally do that". Then my printer decided it hated life and I thought "well self, you are pretty darn good at math, you can make a triangle and some folds". Turns out not so much. So coincidentally this attempt uses a  Sweet Pea Stamp... and it is another little dragon man. This one is Lisa Victoria's Dragon Luck... this little fellow wasn't that lucky to end up on this card!! But I like the colouring with the copics so that is a little win. So I know it isn't horrible but the engineer in me can't deal with the non-meeting lines and things. 

Closed

Open (You can see my twitching here!)

Anyway. There will be more tomorrow... school still isn't fixed. But that's ok, I have new stamps!!

I can see the future?

Ok so I really can't, other than the fact that whatever I post after tonight is going to involve some of the awesome polymer clay things using some new Martha Stewart silicone molds I got on sale today. Here is what they looked like before they went in the oven... they look pretty much the same now just, well... harder. Yes I am aware that I shouldn't cook polymer clay in the same oven I food with, but once isn't going to kill us. I am picking up my toaster oven for further endeavors.

So the other thing I bet you are wondering what those Glimmer Misted lollipop flowers look like now that they are dry. In a word, AMAZEBALLS. So great that I used one on this fantastic little birthday card I put together. Now before you ask I have no idea what any of the paper is, it just came out of the pile of scraps in my disaster and there were no identifying marks of any kind. What I can tell you is that this is another fabulous stamp from Kraftin Kimmie Stamps wonderful Three Wishes Set. I stamped her with Memento Tuxedo Black and heat set the image.

I then coloured her with Copics

Skin E00, E02, E11

Hair E13, E17, E18

Veils B12, B00

Body B28, B29, B32 (with tip touching)

Background BV08, BV13

Now I wanted to tie in the colour from the flower a little bit more, so I used the same spray on a light piece of paper and some of my new templates from The Crafters Workshop. The bling in the center of the flower is a bling button from CTMH. Then I stacked it all up and wrote a really sappy letter inside. Enjoy!

So This Card Just Happenned

Well so I have finally organized the HUGE pile of layouts around my scrap room, put them in some semblance of order and went to put them in an album. It was at this point that I realized there were some major events that I had sort of forgotten to scrap... so now I have a semi organized all in one pile of layouts on my floor and a semi organized set of pictures to catch up on. I hate that I can't guess how many pages it will tell me to tell a story, I mean I would hate to miss something right?

In other news I just got me some new stamps from Kraftin Kimmie Stamps. Seriously, they have some super cute stuff, and I think that this little one may have just jumped up to the top of my LOVE list. Her name is Angry Ballerina and I think that I may make cards with her for every person I know.

She is coloured with Copics (Look at me getting all awesome at this blending shenanigans!)

Skin E00, E02, E11

Hair E13, E17, E18

Piggy RV32, RV34

Dress B06, B04, B02

I then fussy cut the heck out of her! The background is a plain white 6by6 card, with a random piece of paper from a swap. The small background is the flourishes from CTMH's The Best Things (C1503) stamped and them embossed with clear embossing powder (Z821). Heat set, let cool, then I smudged some Chalk Inks over it. Sharpie for the line, little bit of Stickles around the end, some CTMH Just Blooms Summer Posies (Z822). All put together it was pretty simple to make, but I really like the look of it.

Copic Easter Bunnies

Hey Everyone,

Well it is almost Easter, so I thought I would practise colouring with my copics on more springy images. So here are a few of the little creations. These are all 3 by 3 cards, and I did them all the same because well... after the fussy cutting it just sort of seemed like the thing to do! The paper is all Close to my Heart, and the front flowers are CTMH, the back are Prima. There are a few little pearls thrown in too (you know how I can't deal with holes...). The stamp set is a retired CTMH stamp set as well.

You don't have to have Copics...

Let's try this again, since last time all my words started disappearing as I moved the pictures around to their proper position. So today I got these amazing stamps in from Sweat Pea Stamps
and I just had to get them inked up and start creating. Now as you know I am on a pretty tight budget so Copics just aren't an option for me, they are just too expensive. I have several techniques that I use that will still give you the depth, blending and shading that is such a popular draw in the copics. Option one is watercolour pencils and then blending them out using either a blending pen or a water brush (or a paint brush dipped in water). This technique takes some practice so you don't completely sog your paper while you blend, and your need to colour smoothly with the pencils or you may get an uneven look (as I did with the background in the picture below. I should have done the background first, not as an afterthought).



Option two, which is what I am going to show you today is how the rest of the picture was coloured is done using your inkpads (and I know you have them, don't lie!) and a blender pen. Let's check it out.

Supplies

• A stamp with some actual spaces for colouring


• Stazon ink


• Water based inkpads such as Close to my Heart or Ranger's distress inks


• Blender pen (available at your local scrap store, usually double ended and not refillable)


• Heavy white or offwhite cardstock

1. Stamp your image using Stazon. This will keep the outline from bleeding while we play.

2. Shade your background colour with a coloured pencil or the blender pen and shade it out how you like. Remember it is better to start light and build. You can always add, taking away is much more challenging.

3. Next, how do we get the ink from the pad onto the blender pen? There are 2 methods and it depends on the shape of the ink pad you are using. I personally just squat the lid of mine into the top of the ink and scoop it up from there. Option 2 is a non-stick craft mat or a piece of wax paper. Stamp the whole pad down on it and pick up the ink from there

4. Now we are ready to start the fun part. I tend to start with larger areas first, but the more common (and one I will recommend) is to start with your lightest colour and work to your darkest. There are things like red lips that you absolutely can't do before you do the face, so make sure that you plan your mode of attack.

Ok now imagine this first. You have essentially loaded a paintbrush; wherever that lands will be the heaviest amounts of paint. It is the same with this technique. For the most natural looking art, I always imagine that the sun is beaming down from the left side of my workspace, making the most pronounced shadows on the left side of the image. So sweep your way from left to right (gently until you get the feel) and sweep by sweep, build up the colour until you are happy with it. Then move on to the next one.

It is VERY important that you clean the ink off your blender pen thouroghly between colours. The easiest way to do this is with a piece of paper towel or tissue and absorb it out.

Once you have all your colouring done, you can throw on some extra highlights in the hair, or on dress folds. This is the time to add things like sparkle highlights as well, but they don't show well on these pictures.

Ok, now it is your turn. Show me what you can do without using copics. Who knows, there may even be a prize in it for you.....